The official Southern ladies guide to hosting the perfect funeral.
The Southern Cookbook to Die For
Each chapter in the book includes those Southern-style recipes necessary if you plan to die tastefully (tongue-in-cheek pun here) any time soon. A definite 'must-have' cookbook throughout the Mississippi Delta where there is a strong sense of community, and being dead is no hindrance to belonging to it.
At Southern funerals, everybody is obsessed with the notion that there won't be enough food and out-of-town guests will go away hungry (Sally Stephens is out of town, so who's going to bring stuffed eggs?). They don't want another death brought on by starvation! At Delta funerals Campbell's cream-of-mushroom soup drenches fresh vegetables. If you wonder why this is so, you have to realize that it acts “As An Extender”. LOL.
The most humorous cookbook I have ever read, plus some fun recipes to try whether you are Southern or not. A Mississippi Delta funeral needs comfort foods, proper etiquette, and, of course, The Restorative Cocktail? (What does one do when a family gets three sheets to the wind and eats the entire feast the night before a funeral?)
From the Southern-style Green-bean Casserole (like stuffed eggs and pimiento cheese, it's a standard at Delta Funerals – because we've been deprived of fat, salt, and sugar too long - think bacon drippings in the ingredients!) to Cheese Grits to Beef Tenderloin (or the alternative Pork Tenderloin), ham, and chicken, tons of Southern dishes make their way to the table. Don't forget the Homemade Vegetable Soup – a favorite comfort food served with corn bread. Or the Liketa Died Potatoes – a true Southern favorite (made with corn flakes, hash browns, cheddar cheese soup and sour cream). And, naturally, the funeral meal wouldn't be complete without Mary Mills Chocolate Sheet Cake.
Summary
A girlfriend gifted me with this cookbook several years ago when I was living in the South, and just reading the chapters will have you laughing uproariously. And the recipes themselves are deliciously delightful. The perfect cookbook for a true Southern send-off!
Being Dead is No Excuse Cookbook is available here on Amazon
*For more Cookbook Reviews, click here.
*Review of the cookbook Being Dead is No Excuse, written by Wednesday Elf
